ACROSS THE NATION.

U.S., maker issue alert on Avastin

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The government and the drug's manufacturer, Genentech, are warning doctors that Avastin increases patients' risk of heart ailments including chest pain, strokes, mini-strokes and heart attacks.

Avastin, which is used to treat colorectal cancer, also raises the risk that patients might die from those heart ailments.

Genentech spokeswoman Colleen Sweeney said Friday that the heart ailments had killed some patients who took the drug, but she could not say how many. Genentech developed the drug.

During clinical trials before the drug's approval, one patient died but a "clear relationship" could not be determined between Avastin use and the heart-related fatality, she said. Additional analyses led to the drug warning by the company and the FDA.